Late Quaternary millennial-scale stability of the feeding strategy of the gray brocket deer in Southeastern Brazil.

Abstract

There is only limited evidence (contemporary or archaeological/paleontological) regarding the feeding ecology of the gray brocket deer (Subulo gouazoubira) in Brazil's Cerrado biome. Using stable carbon ({delta}13C) and oxygen ({delta}18O) isotope analyses of dental enamel from individuals recovered from Cuvieri Cave, Minas Gerais, we explore dietary and environmental changes between the Late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs for S. gouazoubira living in this biome. {delta}13C data suggest no significant shift in feeding strategy between the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, with both sets of individuals displaying carbon isotope values consistent with browsing in open environments rather than closed canopy forests. A shift in {delta}18O values, on the other hand, indicates climatic changes in the area of Cuvieri Cave from the late Pleistocene to Holocene epoch. This study highlights the stability in the feeding behavior of the gray brocket deer despite biotic and abiotic changes between the epochs.